Litha / Summer solstice
Litha / midsummer/ summer solstice is celebrated around June 21st. This marks the shortest and brightest night of the year. The Summer Solstice marked the Earth's full-flowering, when the crops had reached the height of maturity, and the lands of the Celts glowed with new green. Traditionally celebrated out in the forest and involved masquerades, picnics, games--such as a reenactment of the Holly & Oak King's great duel for the hand of the Virgin Goddess--she who would become the fruitful Mother of Autumn, and, at night, bonfires and dancing--Shakespeare's "Midsummer Night's Dream" gives one an idea of the riotous kind of atmosphere this time provoked.
The Goddess is heavy with pregnancy and so is the earth (shows Her Death- in-Life aspect, the Earth is fertile, and all is in bloom, the Goddess reaches out to the fertilizing Sun God at the height of His powers), She presides over the death of the God. The Goddess dances Her dance of Life and Death, the Sun God loves Her, and dies of His love. Flowers are in bloom everywhere, i.e. in sexual maturity, ready for pollination, fertilization, yet once fertilized they die that the seeds and fruits may develop. At the same time, summer fruits appear, for a short but delicious season. June was considered by some to be the luckiest month to be married in, and is the time of the mead moon, or honey moon. A tradition was for newly weds to drink mead daily for a month after their wedding, hence the post wedding holiday being named the honeymoon. Although the days begin to grow shorter after the Summer Solstice, the time of greatest abundance is still to come. The promises of the Goddess and God are still to be fulfilled.
This is a time of beauty, fulfilment of love, strength, energy (physical energy is at it's peak, we are active and strong), rejoicing in the warmth of the sun, and the promise of the fruitfulness to come. It seems a carefree time, yet in the knowledge of life, is the knowledge of death, and beauty is but transitory. We celebrate life, and the triumph of light, but acknowledge death, and the power of the Dark Lord which now begins to grow stronger.
History : Portugal, people say that St. John's Eve water possesses great healing power. Before dawn both cattle and young children bathed in rivers or dew, to ensure health and strength.
Russia, the summer solstice celebration is called Kupalo. Kupalo comes from the verb kupati, to bathe, and mass baths were taken on Midsummer morning.
Druids gathered their sacred and magickal plants, especially mistletoe, and dried and stored them for winter.
Decoration: oak leaves, lilies, ivy, lavender, ferns, yarrow, daisies and carnations.
Food: all garden veggies and fruits.
Herbs: lavender, thyme, lily, myrrh, pine, wisteria, mugwort and rose.
Colors: gold, yellow, brown and green.
Stones: emerald, jade, tiger's eye, lapiz lazuli, and diamond.
Taboos: giving away fire, sleeping away from home and neglecting animals.
Activities: jumping the balefire, gathering herbs, clan gatherings and well dressing.
Other things to try: Collect morning dew and empower it as holy water. Build a circle of stones.
Recipes
Buckeyes
1 lb melted margarine 3 lbs powdered sugar
2 1/2 lbs smooth peanut butter 36 oz semi-sweet chocolate or chips
1 square cooking paraffin
Mix margarine, PB and sugar in large bowl. Roll into small balls. Melt chocolate with 1 section of paraffin. Dip balls 3/4 of the way into chocolate and place on wax paper to dry.
